Footwear-protector



K. SLASOR.

FOOTWEAR PROTECTOR.

APPHCATION FILED JUNE 12, 1920.

1,3$2,748, Patented June 28,1921.

' struction,

KATE SLASOR, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

FOOTWEAR-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11110 28, 1921.

Application filed June 12, 1920. Serial No. 888,665.

T 0 all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, KATE SLAsoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of \Vashington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Footwear-Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in footwear protectors and the object of my invention is to provide an apron or cover 0 impervious flexible material adapted for use by housewives to be worn over the shoes or pumps while performing their household duties.

Another object is to provide a cover embodying means adapting it to conform with or fit snugly over the shoe and that will not readily stretch or become out of shape.

A still further object is to provide a cover adapted to be worn over the shoe that embodies simplicity, durability, and economy in construction, that may be readily slipped ugon or removed from a shoe and that is e clent in use.

\Vith the above and other objects in View which will appear as my description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel concombination, adaptation and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

I accomplish these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a protector embodying my invention as it would appear when placed on a shoe;

Fig. 2 IS a top plan view of my protector, which is slightly distended to better illustrate the several features;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of my protector, parts being broken away to better illustrate the longitudinal medially disposed dart sewed therein;

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section of my protector taken in a broken line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

ig. 5 is a diagrammatic view on a reduced scale illustrating the substantially curvilinear triangular shape of the cover section of my protector; and

Fig. .6 is a view in transverse section taken on a broken line 6--6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the numeral10 indicates the cover section of my p tector h h ay e made of any suitable. flexible material. The cover 10 may be cut or formed in the desired size and substantially in the curvilinear-triangular shape from a sheet or layer of the desired material as shown in Fig. 5.

The side edges or borders 11 of the cover 10 may be finished by hemming or binding same with tape as desired. However, in practice I have found it practical in order f to present a more finished appearance and also to reinforce and bind the edges 1.1 I have provided a strip of tape 12 which is adapted to be disposed therein and sewed thereto by stitches 13 in a well known manner.

The rear edge 14 of the cover 10 is doubled over and sewed to form a hem 15 as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

To prevent undue stretching of the cover 10 and to retain and maintain the original shape I cut the cover substantially parallel to the warp and woof of the material. To compensate for any slight irregularities in the cutting operation as for example should the cover 10 designed for a predetermined size of shoe be found to have been cut slightly larger than necessary, also to ositively insure that the cover 10 will con orm to and fit snugly over any shape of shoe I have provided the cover with a central longitudinally disposed dart 16. The dart 16 is formed by doubling the material; at the center for substantially its entire length as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and then stitching the said doubled portion together with a longitudinally disposed row of stitches 17. The depth of the dart 16 being greatest midway of the length thereof which depth is arranged to gradually decrease in a forward and rearward direction so as to terminate the dart and merge it with the general outline of the cover 10 at points adjacent the forward and rear ends of the apron as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

To insure the positive retention of the toe portion 20 of the apron 10 on the toe portion of the shoe I have formed a gathering 21 in the cover 10 and the tape 12 at the said forward end. I To yieldingly retain and maintain the said gathering 21 I have provided a short length of elastic cord 22 having its ends adapted to project outwardly through suitable oper lings formed in the inner wall of th tape 2 and having knots 23 formed on the said ends to retain the said cord in its proper position in addition to functioning as a yielding retaining means for the gatherin 21 as shown more clearly in Fig. 6.

o positively and securely retain the cover 10 in a longitudinal direction on the shoe I have provided an elastic band 25 having the ends thereof securely sewed to the lower rear corners of the said cover to thus form a loop of the said band arranged to extend in a rearward direction as shown in Fig. 2 which loop is adapted to pass around and yieldingly engage the upper portion of the heel of the shoe when the protector is operatively disposed therein as shown more clearly in Fig. 1.

To positively and securely retain the cover 10 in a lateral direction on the shoe I have provided spaced transversely disposed elastic bands 26 having their ends securely sewed in the tape 12 as shown in Fig. 4, at a point adjacent the rear end of thecover as shown in Figs, 1 and 3. The bands 26 being adapted to pass around and yieldingly engage the curved or arched portion of the shoe when the protector is disposed thereon as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. p

The rear edge 14 of the protector may be extended upwardly and rearwardly as far as may be desired inorder to furnish proper protection for the hose of the wearer but I have found in practice that a protector formed in the shape shown in Fig. 1 is best suited for my purpose and sufficient for all ordinary requirements.

In attaching my protector the shoe is slipped between the cover 10 and the bands 25 and 26 thereof, the protector is then drawn over the shoe, care being taken to have the lower edge of the tape 12 and the gathering 21 disposed in the welt of the shoe in order to properly retain the protector 1n its position the bands 25 and 26 are then ad%'usted in th desired position.

rom the foregone description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and the method of operation of my footwear protector will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, but, while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with th structure which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the protector shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the invention. I What I claim is: footwear protector formed of a flexible sheet of material folded to inclose the upper forward portion of the footwear, elastic retaining straps for the lower edges of the folded sheet underlying the footwear, an elastic heel strap pro'ectlng rearwardly from the side edges of t e foldeds'heet, the forward edge .of the sheet being gathered, and an elastic cord within the gathered edge to permit. expansion and contraction of the protector for intimate engagement with the tip of the footwear. I

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 3rd day of June, A. D. 1920.

KATE SLASOR. 

